For many children, school lunches are one of their only opportunities to receive a balanced meal each day. Since schools are typically to serve lunches that adhere to the appropriate guidelines of child nutrition, these meals provide a healthy alternative for many students. Many see school lunches as a necessary part of a child’s school day, others point out the faults involved. Read on to learn more about the pros and cons.
List of Pros of School Lunches
1. Child Nutrition
In a nation where child obesity is consistently on the rise, providing options and alternatives allows kids to eat healthier and remain in shape. Parents do not always have the time to pack lunches for their children and allowing the school to provide healthy meals gives children the chance to meet the correct standards of nutrition.
2. Trying New Foods
Children who have their lunches packed for them by their parents do not always get the experience a wide spectrum of dining options. They will often consume the same style of lunch every day, with very few changes. School lunches give children the chance to sample several different cuisines.
3. Parents Save Time
Nowadays, the stay at home mother who packs her children’s lunches with tender, loving care has become a relic. Since both parents typically work full time jobs, relying on school lunches are a great way to decreases their overall stress level. Parents are able to head to work each day, knowing that their children will be well nourished.
List of Cons of School Lunches
1. Picky Children Don’t Eat
While children who enjoy trying new foods are more apt to love their school lunches, children who are more picky and do not wish to eat the food that the school has provided will often go hungry. In many instances, they may simply choose an unhealthy alternative, as opposed to eating what’s provided.
2. Lack of Parental Control
Parents who wish to exercise a great deal of control over what their children consume are not able to under the school lunch system. They are asked to trust in the school’s administration and as a result, their child’s diet may not be as balanced as they would hope. These parents often opt for the brown bag lifestyle.
3. Menus Are Already Fixed
School lunches do not provide a great deal of wiggle room for the child who does not like to eat the same foods at the same time on the same days. By the middle of each school year, a certain form of school lunch fatigue begins to set in, as pickier children become sick of food schedules that are planned out weeks in advance. Reliance on school lunches means less dining flexibility.
